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Tuesday, January 31, 2017

A reunion 58 years in the making occurred today, January 31, not far from
where this group first met, although under different circumstances. On a hot summer day in August 1959, a fire
erupted on the first floor of a two-story, with basement, single family home in
the 7600 block of 25th Avenue in Hyattsville.

Two sibling children, ages 2 and 3, were
napping upstairs while mom was doing laundry in the basement. Upon returning upstairs the fire was
discovered and she went outside to seek help.

An off-duty Prince George’s County Police Officer (currently
unidentified), believed to have been living in a house in the rear of the house
on fire, either saw the house on fire and/or heard the screams for help and
immediately provided assistance. He
secured a nearby ladder and positioned it against the house, up to a second
floor window. By doing so saved valuable seconds as Fire Sergeant Hartman and Fire Fighter Newman arrived and quickly ascended the ladder. The firefighters entered the home, where they began searching for the children. Newman located 2-year-old Linda Hart and carried
her to the window where the police officer was waiting at the top. Newman handed off Linda to the officer who immediately provided her to EMTs in the front yard.

Fire Fighter Newman continued his search and quickly located 3-year-old
Michael Hart. Newman removed his breathing air face piece and placed it over the face of the young child to provide fresh breathing air. Newman exited the house by way of the interior stairwell as other firefighters had extinguished the first floor kitchen fire.

Both children were transported to a hospital, where they
were treated and released.

Siblings Michael and Linda Hart reached out via Facebook, in
an effort to meet their rescuers. This
day marks the successful outcome of their quest. Nearly 58 years later, Retired Battalion
Chief Stu Newman was reunited with the brother and sister.

During the reunion, Prince George’s County Fire/EMS Chief
Deputy Benjamin M. Barksdale spoke of the differences between then and now,
with regard to protecting families from fire and other hazards. In 1959, heavyweight home construction
allowed time for rescues such as this. Fires
now burn quicker due to lightweight construction and the toxicity level of
smoke is higher, the result of materials used in furnishings. Chief Barksdale emphasized that very few
homes in 1959, if any, had the protection of residential sprinklers and smoke
alarms. These potentially life-saving
devices, which were cost prohibitive and bulky, were mainly used in commercial
construction. Today, homes in Prince
George’s County are built with residential sprinklers, as well as 10-year smoke
and carbon monoxide alarms.

Linda and Michael Hart each spoke about their personal memories
about that day and what they have been told by family members. The pair likewise shared how the incident has
played a major role in their lives. This
was, however, the first time the Harts heard an actual firsthand account of
that day from one of their rescuers, as Newman shared his recollection of the
incident.

As a result of this event and a review of Stuart Newman’s
records, the Prince George’s County Fire/Emergency Medical Services Department
discovered that he was never properly awarded his retirement credentials. He was presented his Retired Battalion Chief
badge and identification card by Chief Deputy Barksdale.

Linda Hart, who was two
years-old at the time of the incident, grew up in Rockville where her brother
Michael still lives. She currently resides in Tumwater, Washington with
her husband Peter Teets and 16-year-old daughter Claire. She is a Unitarian Universalist
minister and has served congregations in Vermont, Connecticut, Spokane,
London (England) and presently serves a congregation in Tacoma, Washington.

Michael Hart, who was three
years-old when the incident occurred, lives in the same home his family moved
into in 1960. He is currently a Tour
Guide with Old Town Trolley in the District of Columbia. On Tuesday evenings he plays music from and
about Louisiana on station WOWD-FM. He
is also a promoter, Cajun and Zydeco dance teacher, a Geochacher (geocaching is
an outdoor recreational activity, in which participants us a GPS receiver or
mobile device and other navigational techniques to hide and seek containers
called “geocaches” or “caches”, at specific locations marked by coordinates all
over the world. Michael has one daughter,
Sarah, who resides in Laurel.

Edwin Stuart
“Stu” Newman,
Jr., age 84, was born in Oakland, California.
After serving four years with the USMC Reserve, he joined the
Tuxedo-Cheverly Volunteer Fire Department.
In 1955, after moving to Adelphi, he became a member of the
Chillum-Adelphi Volunteer Fire Department.
Stu was hired as a career firefighter with the Prince George’s County
Fire/EMS Department in 1959. He received
a medal in 1975, for actions taken at a structural failure on Metzerott Road.
The following year after starting his career with the Fire/EMS Department, Stu
began teaching for the Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute. Currently, he is on sabbatical due to a
shoulder reconstruction.

An avid roller skater, Stu began skating in at the Bladensburg
Skating Rink in 1949. He began competing
in roller dance competitions in 1978 and skated in his last dance competition
in 1997. He continued to figure skate
until January 2016.

Stu currently enjoys a blended family with 10 children; 16
grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchildren, with two more expected this year. His favorite vacation activity is cruising,
especially in Alaska.

Monday, January 30, 2017

The Prince George’s County
Fire/Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Department is pleased to announce that Retired Deputy Fire Chief Tyrone Wells and Assistant Fire Chief Darren O. Ware were recognized as The Knights of Columbus “Career Fire Fighter of the Year."

The award presentation was made on Saturday, January 28th, at the Knights of Columbus Sacred Heart Council No. 2577 in Bowie, Maryland. Tyrone Wells was unable to attend the event due to previous commitments. Darren Ware was well represented with members of his family and co-workers including Chief Deputy Benjamin Barksdale.

Ware and Wells were selected for their actions in saving the life of a female that occupied a burning vehicle. The following account was read while making the award presentation.

Wednesday,
April 20, 2016, was challenging from its onset—first and foremost because the
Prince George’s County Fire/ EMS Department was conducting funeral services for
one of its members killed in the line of duty.Secondly, Assistant Fire Chief Ware was tasked with coordinating mutual
aid resources and ensuring that personnel who don’t work in our system or
typically work together would be able to do so safely and efficiently.Then, upon concluding his shift and en route
home, he noticed smoke on the road ahead of him and suspected it was a vehicle
fire.

As
Chief Ware neared the incident, his suspicion of a vehicle fire was
confirmed.He was surprised to discover that
an adult female driver was inside.He
quickly radioed Public Safety Communications for resources, after which he
attempted to remove the victim from the vehicle.His attempt was unsuccessful, as all four
doors were locked; and the woman was unresponsive to his instruction to unlock
her door.With the fire beneath the
vehicle growing larger and progressing into the free burning phase, Chief Ware
realized the increasing urgency of the situation.He hurriedly returned to his vehicle and
surveyed the surrounding area, hoping to find something that could be used to
gain entry into the vehicle.Everything
was happening so fast; yet, it seemed like eternity in the face of the
life-threatening situation confronting the victim.

Retired Deputy Fire Chief Tyrone Wells, also returning from the funeral and traveling
along the same route as Ware, spied the incident and stopped to provide
assistance.A male bystander retrieved a
construction tool from his vehicle, to assist with a second attempt to access
the vehicle.Forcible entry was in
progress when the victim inadvertently stepped on the gas pedal, driving the
vehicle down the slope off the shoulder of the road.The fire was now at a difficult angle with
extension into the engine compartment, which posed greater peril in an already
challenging situation.Time was of the
essence, and it was imperative to affect this rescue immediately to prevent a
tragic outcome.Wells and Ware managed to get down the slope and access the passenger side of the
vehicle.The new position of the vehicle
had rendered the driver’s side inaccessible.

Deputy Chief Wells used the construction
tool to break the passenger side window, at which time Chief Ware reached
inside the vehicle and manually unlocked the door.Smoke was rapidly filling the vehicle, and
the engine compartment was fully involved.It was just a matter of time before fire reached the passenger
compartment.He reached over the front
passenger seat accessed the unresponsive victim and lifted her from the
driver’s seat to the passenger side of the car.This was by no means easy, but it was the only option.

After successfully rescuing the
patient from the passenger side, Chief Ware carried her up the hill and across
the street.Barrier protection had not yet
been established; but, traffic had fortunately stopped.Other Fire/EMS personnel returning from the
funeral had arrived by then, and the patient was placed in their care for
further medical evaluation and treatment.

Chief Ware immediately repositioned
his vehicle to use as barrier protection.Within moments following the rescue, the woman’s vehicle was fully
involved.An engine company and ALS unit
from a nearby fire station arrived on the scene a couple of minutes later.The fire was extinguished, and the patient
was transported to a hospital.Chief
Ware then made radio notifications and terminated command per Departmental
protocols.

Congratulations to Darren Ware and Tyrone Wells on this well-deserved recognition!!!

(OXON HILL, MD) – A man is being treated at a nearby hospital after an apparent bomb threat and attempted suicide today, closing the Woodrow Wilson Bridge in both directions.

​The man is not being identified at this time. He is being guarded by troopers at George Washington Hospital, where he is undergoing treatment currently. Charges against him are pending.

​At 2:00 p.m. today, Virginia State Police received a 9-1-1 call from a motorist, reporting a man who was getting ready to jump off of the southbound side of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge. Maryland State Police from the Forestville Barrack were immediately dispatched to the location.

​Upon their arrival, the man had already jumped over the bridge. Shortly after he jumped into the Potomac River, emergency responders from the Metropolitan Police Department’s D.C. Harbor Patrol rescued him. He was transported to the hospital by an Alexandria Medic Unit ambulance.

​The preliminary investigation indicates the man was driving a tan 2016 Toyota Corolla around 2:00 p.m. today on the inner loop of I-495 in Prince George’s County. When he arrived at the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, he pulled over about one half of a mile onto the bridge and parked his car on the right shoulder.

​Witnesses tell police he made mention of having a bomb inside his vehicle as he approached the edge of the bridge. Police believe he also called 9-1-1 prior to jumping, stating he had a bomb in his vehicle.

​Lanes on both sides of the bridge were shut down for about ninety minutes, while personnel from the Prince George’s County Fire Department’s Explosive Ordinance Disposal searched for the presence of any hazardous explosive devices. Once the area was rendered safe, lanes were reopened for traffic.

​Personnel from the Virginia State Police and U.S. Park Police responded to the scene for assistance. Maryland Department of Transportation personnel also responded to assist with lane closures.

​Investigators from the Maryland State Police urge anyone with information relevant to this case to contact Forestville Barrack at 301-568-8101. There are no further details at this time. The investigation continues…

Tuesday, January 24, 2017

With the assistance of FACEBOOK and relentless effort to
meet the heroes that saved them, a brother and sister rescued by public safety
personnel nearly 58 years ago will reunite with at least one of their
rescuers. The siblings, ages 2 and 3,
were pulled to safety from the second floor of their burning home by an off-duty
police officer and arriving firefighters.
The children survived their injuries and went about their lives. Now, after talking about the incident
throughout their adult lives they will reunite with one of the firefighters
that pulled them to safety.

WHAT: Reunion
of rescued siblings with their rescuer from a fire that occurred 58 years ago

While no charges were placed against the man for the assault and death, a Grand Jury did indict him on several charges related to possessing a weapon while having a previous felony charge on his criminal record.

In an Upper Marlboro Court Room on Friday with Skillets wife; Dawn, family members and friends, Chief Deputy Ben Barksdale, Assistant Fire Chief Alan Doubleday, IAFF Local 1619 President Andrew Pantelis as well as Morningside Volunteer Fire Fighter Kevin Swan and family members present, the accused pled guilty to a single felony count of weapon possession which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in jail. Sentencing is set for March 31 at 1:30 pm.

Friday, January 13, 2017

Prince George’s County Firefighters battled a fire at a
Capitol Heights Church that caused significant damage.Just before 12:30 pm, Thursday, January 12,
911 callers reported smoke was coming from a church in the 5900 block of
Addison Road.Firefighters arrived to
find smoke showing and initiated a search of the structure for occupants as
well as the source of the smoke.No one
was found inside and firefighters narrowed their search for the fire to the
basement of the structure.

Fire Investigators believe the fire originated near a
basement wall unit space heater with fire extension to the first floor within
the confines of the walls.To extinguish
the fire firefighters had toThere were
55 firefighter/medics on the scene.It
took about 50 minutes to completely extinguish the fire.Firefighters remained on the scene after the
fire was out performing extensive overhaul.

Thursday, January 12, 2017

January 12, 1992 marked a tragedy that will forever live with our fire service family. Morningside Volunteer Fire Department member, Firefighter Kenny Hedrick made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our community, 25 years ago today. As our Department experienced again in 2016, it is never easy when we lose one of our own. While we continue to analyze and work through the after-actions, it is our duty to ‘Never Forget’, especially our own. Kenny’s sacrifice is forever enshrined and memorialized at station 827, at the Fire Services Building, and Nationally in Emmittsburg - yet enshrinement and memorialization is not enough. We owe it to Kenny, and to each other to always strive for improvement and ultimately towards an environment where everyone will go home.

Les and Cathy Hedrick along with the rest of the family have dedicated their lives to sharing Kenny’s story and urging firefighters to take safety seriously. Their unwavering support and work with the PGFD, the MSFA, and The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation is my inspiration and should be an inspiration for us all. Cathy has announced she will step down from her employment with the Foundation this year, however I suspect she and Les will continue to advocate for the 16-Life-Safety Initiatives and the other work of the NFFF.

Friday, January 6, 2017

Prince George's County Fire Chief Marc S. Bashoor joined County Executive Rushern L. Baker III in announcing the Chiefs retirement after over 6 years on the job. During a press conference at the St. Joe's Fire/EMS Station in Springdale County Executive Baker and Fire Chief Bashoor reflected on the accomplishments of the Department under Bashoor.

Bashoor notified members of the Department via an Email on Thursday evening. Chief Bashoor wrote:

Good Evening PGFD Family:

I have notified County Executive Baker of my intention to retire effective March 1, 2017. It is, and has been my distinct honor to serve you and Prince George’s County as Fire Chief for the past 6+ years.

Please accept my thanks and appreciation for everything each of you has contributed to our Department. Joining as a volunteer firefighter with the Bowie VFD in 1981 through my experiences as a union shop steward and at every rank up to Chief of the Department, which has included regional leadership with the Council of Governments and international travel for NFPA, I have served with some of the finest our service has to offer. Thank you.

From hiring and volunteer recruitment, to ambulance billing and apparatus replacement, to community participation at many levels including on the Fire Commission, to the high school cadet program and our new Leadership Academy effort, we have met our challenges head-on, and I believe the organization as a whole, is better for it. We have a solid platform from which the Department will continue to grow.

Work on a seamless transition plan is ongoing - except for some time off in a couple weeks, I will continue to serve through the end of February. County Executive Baker will officially announce my departure at a press conference scheduled for 11:00 a.m. Friday January 6 at station 806. The Department will be notified via email as expected changes are revealed.

Thank you once again for everything you do everyday for this Department and for the community of Prince George’s County, which I have called home for over 45 years. Stay smart and stay safe!

LODD April 15, 2016

Fire Fighter/Medic Lieutenant John "Skillet" Ulmschneider

Donate to Sparky Fire Fund

Tragically firefighters will find pets that have been injured in home fires. Sometimes owners are not availiable to bring their pet to a emergency vet or may not have the resources to afford medical care. The Prince George's County Fire/EMS Department and the Anne Arundel County SPCA have teamed up and created a fund whereas medical care for the pet would be covered in part or in full.
Please consider donating today. Please designate your donation to the Sparky Fire Fund.
Click here to donate - designate Sparky Fire Fund